Motorists breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as both sides of the Erskine Bridge were finally re-opened to traffic after 10 long months of disruption.

Peak-time restrictions that were in place while a £6million refurbishment programme was carried out were lifted a week ahead of schedule.

The bulk of the work was carried out by Scotland TranServ and Highway Barrier Solutions, for Transport Scotland, and included carriageway repairs and new vehicle barriers at verges and the central reservation.

Transport Minister Keith Brown told the Paisley Daily Express: “It is very satisfying to see another transport project being delivered ahead of schedule and I am sure the many people who use the Erskine Bridge will appreciate the cones being lifted.

“I know the work has caused delays and I want to thank people for the patience shown while it was being carried out.

“The result, for us all, is a safer and upgraded bridge which will serve us well in future.”

Motorists are being advised there is still some minor work to be carried out on the north side of the bridge, such as centre-line painting and smaller safety barrier replacements.

However, this will be scheduled for later in the summer and carried out during off-peak times, such as weekends and through the night, in order to limit disruption.

Colin Anderson, Scotland TranServ’s Erskine Bridge project manager, said: “We are delighted this project has been completed ahead of our original schedule as we know this will mean a lot to the thousands of drivers who use the bridge on a daily basis as part of their commute to work.

“For them, it has been a long 10 months but we appreciate their patience while this vital safety programme was carried out.”

Nigel Dougan, a director at Highway Barrier Solutions, added: “This has been a challenging project and one that has required innovative thinking.

“Our team has worked hard to ensure work was completed on time, through some horrendous wintry conditions which made delicate operations, on top of such an exposed bridge, extremely difficult.”